


A Reason To Celebrate

by PennedByLynn



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series)
Genre: Action, Birthday, Birthday Party, Canon Compliant, Friendship, Light Angst, Missing Scene, Mother-Son Relationship, One Shot, Team Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:35:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27234334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PennedByLynn/pseuds/PennedByLynn
Summary: Hawk hasn't looked forward to his birthday in a long time but with his new teammates by his side, he finally has a reason to celebrate. Featuring a hint of angst, some insight into Hawk's relationship with his Mom, a glimpse of Hawk/Moon in the early stages of their relationship, and a bit of friendly competition between Hawk/Miguel.Set in and around 2x01.
Relationships: Miguel Diaz & Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz, Moon/Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz
Comments: 6
Kudos: 20





	A Reason To Celebrate

**Author's Note:**

> This ended up being way longer than I'd planned but it didn't feel right to split it into two chapters!

“Mom, I’m home,” yelled Hawk as he walked through the doorway. “Everyone’s going to be here in like 30.”

“I’m in the kitchen,” answered Lara Moskowitz.

He kicked off his shoes, lining them up by the door, and made his way to the kitchen. “Whoa, it smells great in here.” He poured himself a glass of water and gulped it down as he surveyed the kitchen counter.

“I thought you kids might be hungry after practice so I swung by the store to get stuff for pizzas,” Lara smiled warmly as she stirred the pizza sauce on the stovetop.

“You didn’t have to do all that but thanks, I’m sure they’ll appreciate it. Practice was brutal today.” Hawk’s brows drew together and his eyes darted around the kitchen. “You’re not like… watching the movie with us are you?”

“Oh honey no, of course not! I just want to meet all your new friends. They seem like such great kids. But I promise I’ll be out of your hair by the time the movie starts.”

He wasn’t entirely convinced but he knew better than to push the subject. She was already following all of them on Instagram anyways.

“Alright, cool. Well I’m going to go rinse off and change before people start showing up.” As he started to leave the kitchen, he made a mental note to adjust the shower head before getting in. He wouldn’t have enough time to start his mohawk again from scratch and there was no way he was wearing his hair down with the guys coming over.

“Oh, Eli! Have you thought about what you want to do for your birthday next week? I know you and Demetri usually pull a movie-marathon all-nighter but your Dad and I were thinking we should do something special for your 16th! Maybe we could all go out to Fleming’s for dinner after you take your drivers test? Or we could take you boys to Disneyland! Remember how much fun we had a few years ago?”

Hawk wanted to roll his eyes at the mention of Disneyland. She really still thought he was 12, didn’t she? His anger started to rise. He was his own man now. Eli might have needed a protector but Hawk could fight his own battles. Nobody messed with him anymore. Couldn’t she see that?

 _Maybe not_ , a small voice whispered. Years of standing quietly on the sidelines had made him an observer. And one thing he’d noticed was that all the bullying and cruel comments sometimes seemed to hurt his mom even more than they’d wounded him.

As humiliating as her overprotective streak was, he had to admit that it had been nice knowing _someone_ was in his corner. Not that he’d ever admit it.

He’d just have to work harder to prove that he could take care of himself. He was Hawk now, after all. Reborn from the ashes of nerdy Eli. And there was no way Hawk was going to spend his birthday sitting at home like a loser with Demetri.

Birthdays had been a bit of a… delicate subject in the Moskowitz household. As an only child, his parents had been thrilled at the chance to spoil their son. It was obvious, even at an early age, that they were trying desperately to make him feel special. His birthday parties had been legendary.

There was the Cars party he’d had as a toddler, complete with a cake that looked exactly like Lightning McQueen. There’d been a Lord of the Rings party for his 6th birthday, featuring an alarming amount of children running around with foam swords and daggers.

And who could forget the epic Harry Potter bash he’d had for his 10th birthday? Knowing how much he loved the movies, his parents had gone all out: there was butterbeer, a Sorting Hat, and plenty of wands to go around. He’d sat in excitement, waiting for his classmates to arrive. In the end, only Demetri had shown.

It seemed that 5th grade was the year that parents collectively stopped forcing their kids to attend every function they were invited to and let the kids choose for themselves. Nobody had chosen Eli.

Hawk’s jaw clenched as he fought off the humiliating memory. Of course nobody had wanted to come hang out with Eli and his nerd shit.

After that, his parents started letting him decide how he wanted to celebrate his birthday and who he wanted to invite. The answer was always Demetri. 11 year old Eli pretended not to notice the tears in his mom’s eyes as she set out paper plates and party hats for two.

“Actually, I was thinking of doing something with a few of the guys from Cobra Kai. Well, guys and Aisha.” And Moon, he thought to himself, not quite ready to spring that news on his mom just yet. “There’s this sick paintball place that Miguel was telling me about. It’s only a few miles away from the dojo. We should have enough to form a team and play a few rounds.”

The smile that lit up his mom’s face was instantaneous. Hawk couldn’t help but share her enthusiasm. It had been years since he’d even dared to look forward to his birthday.

“Oh honey that sounds like a great time! Are you sure it’s safe though? I saw this article on Facebook the other day about how dangerous paintball can be,” said Lara, worry creasing her brow.

Hawk rolled his eyes as he answered, “You rent armour there. I don’t think they even let anyone on the field if they aren’t suited up. Trust me, it’ll be fine.”

He could tell she wanted to say more on the subject but she was showing a surprising amount of restraint. Maybe he really was starting to prove that Hawk wasn’t someone she needed to hover over.

“Okay, well just get me the name of the place. I’ll call and see if we can book a reservation. Maybe your Dad and I can take you all out for dinner afterwards?” she asked hopefully.

Anxiety pricked at the back of Hawk’s neck. Having people over for a movie was one thing but dinner with his parents? He calculated the million different ways they could embarrass him and was about to say no. He had a rep to maintain now, after all.

But then he saw the look on her face. He remembered how much his mom had loved planning and throwing those birthday parties. He felt like he’d failed her during all those years the house remained empty during his birthday. What kind of kid takes that away from their mom?

He gulped down his hesitation and forced a smile onto his face. “Yeah, that sounds great, Mom.”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In retrospect, going straight from the dojo to the paintball field might not have been his smartest idea. His limbs were screaming with exhaustion as he chugged from his water bottle.

He reached up and tried to subtly confirm that his mohawk was still in place. He’d managed to convince his parents to spring for a regulation mask/goggle combo instead of the standard helmets available for rent.

The adjustable strap was definitely going to leave a crease towards the base of the mohawk but it was way better than having it completely thrashed by a helmet.

He’d even managed to slap a Cobra Kai sticker on the side of the mask. He’d been getting compliments on it all afternoon. It was pretty badass.

Feeling confident that his Mohawk was doing alright, he rested his arms on the back of the bench and continued trying to catch his breath.

Miguel caught his eye and said with a teasing grin, “Gettin’ a bit tired over there? Don’t tell me you’re giving up already. You were pretty close in that last game but I still outlasted you.”

Hawk narrowed his gaze and felt a smirk take over his own face. “Please. My skills might be a little rusty but you’re about to face the fury of the Hawk.”

A little rusty? Try non-existent. He’d never even picked up a paintball gun until about an hour and a half ago. But he wasn’t about to look like a wuss in front of his teammates. And what he lacked in aim, he made up for with a sheer barrage of bullets. The best defense is more offense, right?

Miguel raised his eyes and challenged, “Oh it’s gonna be like that huh? Alright, bring it. Last man standing gets Powerade from the loser all next week.”

“Ummm this little wager just applies to you boys right? I’m not trying to get stuck footing the bill for your little display of testosterone,” said Aisha.

“Aisha! I’m wounded,” said Miguel, putting on his best puppy dog face.

“Hawk’s always up for a challenge. Don’t worry about it Aisha. This one’s between me and Miguel,” Hawk replied, jutting out his chin.

“Aren’t you supposed to be on the same team? You’re going to fight each other and the opposite team?” asked Moon. “That sounds stressful. Wouldn’t it be easier if you all worked together to win the game?”

She scooted closer to Hawk and traced her fingertips along the back of his hand. His heart sped up a bit at the contact.

“Babe, it’s Capture the Flag. You have to have teams. Or else there’s nobody to capture the flag from.” He stole a sip of her boba and winked.

“Well technically, you could just have an outside party hide the flag and then you could all hunt for it. I’ve been in charge of the family Easter egg hunt for the past two years and not to brag but those kids _never_ find all my hiding places,” quipped Demetri as he leaned awkwardly against a giant stack of hay bales.

Hawk rolled his eyes. “Except it’s _Capture_ the Flag, not Find the Flag. And besides you’re not even allowed on the field without protective gear. I don’t know why you refused to suit up with us.”

“Have you seen me? I’m basically a walking target,” complained Demetri, waving his arms. “Volunteering to get shot isn’t exactly my idea of a good time.”

“You can watch from the benches with me,” Moon smiled warmly. “I just got here too so we can find the seating area together!”

An announcement echoed over the speaker system, “Yellow and Pink teams, you’re up next. You have 5 minutes to take your position before the buzzer starts.”

Everyone gathered their gear and started heading towards the field.

“You better be on your A-game, bro. I’m comin’ for you,” nodded Miguel, a playful glint in his eye.

“Bring it,” challenged Hawk.

“Good luck birthday boy,” said Moon as she kissed him on the cheek, running her hand down his bicep. “Win this one for me.”

Hawk attempted to smirk but he couldn’t contain the genuine smile that took over his face. “Hell yeah. How can I lose now that my good luck charm is here?”

He cringed inside as he waited for her to laugh at his cheesy comeback. He’d have to be quicker on his feet next time. To his surprise though, Moon just beamed and stared at him with genuine affection in her eyes.

Hawk felt like he’d been waiting his entire life for someone to look at him like that.

He flipped the visor back down and picked up his gun. Newfound confidence and adrenaline pumped through his veins as he walked onto the field. After Sensei’s confusing reaction to the tournament and a week of difficult practices, it felt good to just let loose.

He jumped up and down a few times, getting himself psyched. This was their last game and the pressure was on. With his girl watching from the stands and a challenge laid down by Miguel, Hawk was ready to make this his best game yet.

“Two minute warning”, came the call over the loudspeaker. “Last call for Yellow and Pink teams to enter the field.”

Scanning the obstacle course, he found Miguel crouched behind one of the barriers close to the middle. Of course he’d placed himself at the center of the action.

Strike first. Strike hard. No mercy.

Hawk joined Miguel and kneeled down in the dirt. “You ready for this, bro?” he said, reaching out his hand for their signature handshake.

Miguel returned the motion. “Born ready.”

“Alright so what’s the strategy here?”

“You go left, I’ll go right. Aisha and the rest of the guys are guarding the flag. And, uh, try to work on your defense. I plan on winning the bet but you can’t leave me alone out here for too long if we want to win the game,” Miguel raised his eyebrow as his mouth curved in a cocky grin.

Hawk narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth when the buzzer sounded.

Game on.

Peering out from around the barrier, he made sure the coast was clear before taking off at a sprint for the next barricade. This one was taller, allowing him a better vantage point of the field.

His finger hovered over the trigger as he plotted his next move. The Pink team appeared to be lying in wait.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Miguel trying to catch his attention. He was pointing in front of Hawk, to a stack of tires. Upon closer inspection, Hawk could see a flash of pink through one of the gaps.

Hawk nodded in acknowledgment and Miguel made a break for the barrier near his side of the field. Hawk took advantage of the distraction and ran for a row of hay bales lying in the dead center.

Crawling to the right side of the row, he was able to get a better angle to view his opponent. He leaned his gun sideways, took a deep breath, and started shooting rapid fire.

The first several pellets missed but he had the advantage of surprise. As the Pink team member adjusted his position to fire back, he stepped away from the tires, making him an easy target.

Hawk hit his right thigh and fired off a couple more shots for good measure. Pleased with his victory, he ran for the next barrier on the left side of the field.

Visibility from this angle was shit though. He wouldn’t be able to stay here long.

His ears perked at the sound of crunching gravel. He cautiously leaned out to get a better view and was immediately fired upon.

He ducked back quickly and tried to steady his heart rate.

He whipped around the barrier and started firing in every direction. This new Pink member wasn’t as good at hiding as his teammate. He was resting his gun on a stack of hay bales and continuing to fire.

Hawk sprinted right, all while continuing to fire at his opponent. Just as he was diving behind another barricade, he heard someone yelling “Shit!” He popped his head out to see the Pink member walking off the field.

Another kill for the Hawk. Moon cheered from the stands and he felt his chest swell with pride.

The relief was short-lived, however. Gunfire sounded in the distance. Time to provide Miguel with a little backup.

He wondered how many Pink members there were now. Surely Miguel had taken out a couple of their opponents as well. This team’s strategy was so different from the others they’d played against today.

Hawk ran for a stack of tires and caught a flash of pink from the corner of his eye. He aimed but the figure was so quick he didn’t stand a chance.

Hawk considered his options.Their defense was stacked but it’s not like Bert would put up a real fight. That Pink member clearly had some skill. He could try to warn his teammates but that risked announcing his position to the rest of the Pink team.

Screw it. None of them had been able to take down the Hawk yet. He knew what the Alpha move was here.

“Aisha, they’re coming for you,” he bellowed.

He pushed forward again, choosing a barricade with much more cover. Footsteps were headed his way.

His new position may have offered more protection but cut off all his necessary sightlines. He was going to have to make a bold move if he stood a chance at staying alive.

He ran and dove behind a shorter but wider barrier toward the center. He was deep into enemy territory at this point. He had to be getting close to the flag.

He scanned but couldn’t see any Pink team members. Huh. That was odd. Where’d they go?

Suddenly, Miguel came sprinting down the right side of the field. He looked exhausted as he ducked behind one of the taller barricades. Chest heaving, hands resting on his knees. But wrapped around one of those hands was the flag.

All they had to do was make it back to their own side of the field.

Two Pink members appeared, splitting the middle. They hadn’t spotted Hawk yet but one was dangerously close to reaching Miguel.

He positioned his gun atop the barrier and aimed for his opponent. He missed and ducked back down, hoping the barrier would provide enough cover.

The sound of gunfire caught Miguel’s attention and he turned and fired, just barely managing to hit the guy in the arm. Miguel sprinted to join Hawk behind the barrier.

“We got another bogey on the other side. I lost sight of her. There’s another that breached into our territory but hopefully Aisha took care of him.”

Miguel nodded and started unwrapping the flag from his arm.

“What are you doing?” asked Hawk in confusion.

“Someone followed my defense advice a little too well and left me to do all the retrieval work. I’m wiped, dude. I’m not going to be able to make it back to our side _and_ fight off enemy fire. You gotta end this.”

Hawk’s face scrunched in conflict. Did Miguel think he was too weak to win the bet on his own? Was this some sort of pity bullshit?

Miguel rolled his eyes and forced the flag into Hawk’s chest. “The bet is still on, I’m just gonna hold position here while you make a run for it. I’ll give you as much cover as I can but there’s no way I’m making it back right now.”

Hawk accepted the flag and tied it around his bicep. “Strike hard,” he said, reaching out his hand to fist bump.

Miguel returned the motion. “No mercy.”

Taking a single breath to steel himself, Hawk ran a few feet to a barrier on the right gate. He didn’t like turning his back on the enemy but he didn’t have much of a choice.

He heard gunfire behind him and poked his head to see Miguel aiming for the Pink member.

Hawk was going to have to zig zag back to the middle now as the next side barrier was too far away. He’d never make it without his opponent marking him. Taking advantage of the cover fire, he made his move.

He could make it to the left barrier but it was going to be a risk. Screw it.

He made a break for it and hid behind the left barrier. There was more gunfire and then he heard Miguel yell, “I’m out!”

Hawk swore under his breath as he pushed forward to the next barricade. He was close to victory but without backup, his opponent was going to be advancing even quicker.

He dove behind the same row of hay bales that he had hidden behind at the start of the game. He slowly lifted his head to scan for the Pink team and was instantly met with paintballs whizzing past his face.

If he ran now, there was no way he could avoid her aim. Crawling to the end of the row, he did his best to position his gun sideways. His visibility and his ability to direct his aim from this angle were complete shit but it was going to have to do.

He opened fire, sweeping his gun and sending rapid fire shots in every direction. Enemy fire was covering the hay bales but he was managing to avoid contact so far. He hid again as best he could, leaving only his arm out. He was shooting completely blind.

He paused, heart pounding inside his chest. Slowly rising from the hay bales, he saw the Pink team member walking off the field.

He’d made contact! He sprinted the remaining 20 feet back to the Yellow zone. The buzzer sounded shortly after he crossed the line.

Miguel rushed back onto the field as Aisha, Bert, and the rest made their way from the back of their fortress. Hawk lifted the flag and uttered a primal yell as his teammates cheered and surrounded him.

He felt absolutely electrified. Winning felt pretty damn good.

He scanned the stands and saw Demetri clapping with a decently impressed look on his face. And beside him was Moon, jumping and cheering with her hands cupped around her mouth.

Hawk beamed with pride at his victory. His chest swelled as he turned back to Miguel. “My favorite flavor is Mountain Blast, by the way”, he said as he lightly elbowed Miguel in the stomach.

Miguel just smirked and shook his head before throwing his arm around Hawk’s shoulder.

The team continued celebrating as they walked off the field. Hawk was smiling so much his cheeks hurt.

Maybe birthdays weren’t so bad after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Based on this prompt from magicknightblue on Tumblr: "Thinking about Hawk who finally had a proper birthday party 😭
> 
> He never had friends growing up and I bet birthdays were hard on him because he had no one to invite. What happened for his 16th birthday? Did he get to have a party and invite all his Cobra Kai teammates? Can you imagine how happy Hawk and his mother must have been?"
> 
> It really struck a cord with me and I just had to write something. I hope I did it justice! If anyone else has prompts, feel free to send them my way.
> 
> Oh and fun fact: I chose Lara for Mrs. Moskowitz's name because it means "protection." <3


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